A Moment Not Spoken Of
by Ragged Claws
Summary: Ivy and Noah share a moment not spoken of. Reuploaded due to accidental deletion.


Ivy Walker opened the door of the Quiet Room and said, "I think you've had quite enough time in there for now, Noah Percy."

Noah stepped out of the Quiet Room cautiously, not wanting to get into any more trouble off Ivy. He hated the Quiet Room and at times couldn't understand the reasons why he was kept in there. The people of The Village (especially the Elders) seemed to dislike a lot of the things he did, including Ivy, who was often the one to scold him.

"Now, if you promise to not go near the Shed Not To Be Used any longer, I shall not tell the elders that Jimmy saw you there."

The picture of Jimmy, a small boy of about 9 years old with scraggly blonde hair, appeared in Noah's mind and his thoughts turned to ones of hate. Jimmy had been the reason why he had been put in the Quiet Room in the first place, because he had told Ivy what he had seen.

"Is that a promise, Noah?" Ivy asked again, stamping her cane on the ground with a sort of authority.

"Yes," he answered, beginning to feel a little better because he knew what was coming next.

Ivy tapped her cheek as a signal for him to kiss it, which he did, quickly and a little shyly, as if afraid that he'd break her if he held it for too long. He loved how soft her skin felt, so unlike his mother's, which was by then wrinkled with age. The kiss was their special thing, and Noah felt very proud that he was the only one allowed to touch her like that when it wasn't a formal occasion. It made it seem as if Ivy was his, and he had always wondered if he should dare to go further…

"Come on, Noah," Ivy said, a smile spreading across her pretty red lips, "I'll race you."

"No cheating! No cheating!" Noah told her playfully. Ivy always found some way to trick him into giving her a head start.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Ivy laughed, but then stopped and in a much more serious tone said, "I say, is that your mother I hear, Noah?"

Noah turned around expecting to see his mother, tapping her foot impatiently, ready to ask what business he had had near the Shed…

But he did not find her there – and then it hit him that Ivy had fooled him once again.

"You cheated!" Noah yelled out to her, after turning around to find her scanting towards the hill, her curly red hair flying out behind her as she ran speedily across the soft grass. Even though she looked so pretty in her pale blue dress, Noah would have hated it if she beat him, so as fast he could he made after her towards the hill. After running for half a minute or so he began to gain on her, and just before they reached the hill he passed her.

Ivy was fast – but he was faster, and he liked it that way.

Noah began to jump up and down excitedly, childishly saying to her over and over, "I beat you!" to which Ivy merely laughed, and collapsed on the hill to catch her breath.

"You certainly did, Noah," she said, still gasping for air.

"I beat Ivy." He said proudly once more.

"Yes."

As Ivy's breathing rate returned to normal Noah watched as her small hands groped the grass around her searching for a flower. After finding one she began to play with its petals absent-mindedly as her thoughts wandered.

Noah continued to watch in silence, wondering if she was thinking about him – or someone else…

He'd seen her with Lucius Hunt before, the quiet boy who worked mainly with wood, and he'd seen the way she moved when she spoke with him – her hands playing gently with her cane and her head moving slightly to the left. And he knew that he had a colour, something Ivy had once told him that certain people in the Village had, and although he hadn't understood what she'd meant, because he knew that she could not see at all, he'd hated it, because when he asked if he had a colour too, she had told him no. Because of all this he felt threatened by Lucius at times. Ivy was HIS.

He reached a hand forward and gently grasped one of Ivy's locks of hair. Ivy gave a surprised laugh and hit him playfully.

"Why, Noah Percy, you should ask permission before you touch the hair of a lady!"

Knowing that she was only teasing, he continued to play with her soft, curls, twisting and turning them about. Ivy, it appeared, had gone back to her own private thoughts - but were they about Lucius?

He didn't want her to be thinking about Lucius at all, but of him. He wanted to get her attention back, so a little more daringly he began to stroke her head softly.

Ivy muttered something and then coming out of her private thoughts, she realised what he was doing.

"Noah…" she trailed off, as if not knowing what to say next.

Noah realised that her face had become confused, and her lips had parted slightly. And then he wondered if he dared…

Carefully, he brought himself around to face her, and drew himself closer to her, so much that he could feel her sweet warm breath against his face. What…what are you doing?" Ivy asked nervously as he took one of her hands into one of his, his other hand still stoking her head.

Noah drew himself in even further and felt her chest "Noah, I…" she began, but could not say anymore because he had lent in and began to kiss her softly on the lips, his hand moving up her arm. He felt Ivy hold her breath, too shocked to do anything.

After a while, he pulled away to find her eyes looking glassy and her whole body rigid. He wondered what she would do.

It was a long time before Ivy moved. She contorted her face in distress and pulled her hand away from Noah. He noticed that it was shaking slightly.

Then she began to grasp around for her cane, and after finding it carefully got up, leaving Noah on the ground.

"Noah Percy," she finally said, her voice shaking a little, "Please do not do that to me again unless I ask you. You have made me very uncomfortable. There are knots in my stomach."

And with that she began to walk away at a brisk pace, calling out behind her, "Do not speak of this moment ever again."

"Ivy, come back!" he called out to her as she moved away from him, but she did not answer. It was as if she hadn't heard him at all, but he knew she had. He didn't understand why she was so angry with him and what he had done wrong. He hated when Ivy would not speak to him, even more than the Quiet Room, and soon enough, he began to feel bitter tears welling up in his eyes. He started to hit the ground and began to wail.

He did not leave the hill until it grew dark and he knew that his mother would be worried about him.

And kept his promise.


End file.
